Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

The questions raised:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.

A>.Metro Station. Sound diluted, many other interfering sounds.
B>.Metro Station. No place to sit, relax, take it in, enjoy it without distraction.
C>.Metro Station. People aren't casually strolling through the Metro Station. They have somewhere to be, they are in a rush, they want to be on time or are already late.

Not to diss the study, but sometimes these pseudo-intellectuals try and look way too deeply into a theory that's so simple and unsophisticated at the surface. Here, that is what occured.

A>.Metro Station. Sound diluted, many other interfering sounds.
B>.Metro Station. No place to sit, relax, take it in, enjoy it without distraction.
C>.Metro Station. People aren't casually strolling through the Metro Station. They have somewhere to be, they are in a rush, they want to be on time or are already late.

Not to diss the study, but sometimes these pseudo-intellectuals try and look way too deeply into a theory that's so simple and unsophisticated at the surface. Here, that is what occured.

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How do you figure?

They asked some questions and what you have done is provide possible symptoms to the problem...furthermore, do you really think they are being pseudo-intellectual in asking, "How many other things are we missing?"

They asked some questions and what you have done is provide possible symptoms to the problem...furthermore, do you really think they are being pseudo-intellectual in asking, "How many other things are we missing?"

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I think it's the opposite.

In the past, you had to send away for a response to a person far away. Now, we have telephones. Saves time.

In the past, to get from your house to the grocery store, may have taken loooong in your horse-pulled carriage. Now your car whips you there and back. Saves time.

In the past, a commute to work may have been 1/2 a day to the "big city" from your plot of land, now it's 20-30 minutes. Saves time.

In the past, this man with the violin would have had to wait maybe a full week for even 10 people to pass, now, it takes him 30 seconds to get that exposure. Saves time.

All this time is saved by technology, and you want to know why people don't have time for beauty, with their busy lives? Because beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is Televised entertainment. Beauty is cranking a CD full volume with 12" subs in the trunk. Beauty is playing XBox at your house, with a friend in China, and communicating over a head-set.

Beauty is texting your mom or family back and forth, or emailing her, from work, whereas if you were on the phone you'd be in trouble.

Beauty is a guy who bought a 3-million dollar violin? No, that's called nuts.
Beauty is a man playing music to himself while you're rushing to get to your next stop, on a subway, which saves you more time than a horse would have, to use that time later for your own taste of beauty?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's not being overtaken by technology, technology can BE beauty.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Pointing out obviousness is just a pet peeve of mine, and this being called a "study" tweeked that pet peeve. There's absolutely zero redeeming qualities in this study, nothing intriguing or thought-provoking whatsoever.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Pointing out obviousness is just a pet peeve of mine, and this being called a "study" tweeked that pet peeve. There's absolutely zero redeeming qualities in this study, nothing intriguing or thought-provoking whatsoever.

Just my opinion is all. Not to step on toes.

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You've missed the point then.

Actually, posting this thread IS a part of the study...thanks for being a part of it but I shall hesitate in judging you as harshly as you have.

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